Rogers Media uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Learn more or change your cookie preferences. Rogers Media supports the Digital Advertising Alliance principles. By continuing to use our service, you agree to our use of cookies.

We use cookies (why?) You can change cookie preferences. Continued site use signifies consent.

Community where no one wanted to be mayor gets a mayor, but only reluctantly

The Old Mills Park in Wellington, P.E.I is seen in this undated handout photo. Nobody wanted to be mayor, but Wellington, P.E.I., got one anyway.No one ran for mayor in Monday's province-wide municipal elections, so the provincial government simply appointed the outgoing mayor, Alcide Bernard, to a four-year term. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Alcide Bernard *MANDATORY CREDIT*

“I want to express my sincere appreciation to Alcide Bernard for his past service as mayor of the Rural Municipality of Wellington and thank him for accepting this appointment,” Brown said in a statement.

Bernard said last month he had earlier served as a municipal councillor, and was approaching retirement age and wanted to take a break.

He acknowledged being a mayor was a demanding job, and noted the village’s aging population could also be a factor in the lack of a candidate.

“Even though Wellington has maintained about the same population over the past 20 or so years, people are aging,” he said last month.

“It’s a common phenomenon, and there’s probably fewer people who are able to assume leadership roles.”